Contending that safe drivers who have reached a milestone birthday should not be penalized in the pocketbook simply because they have attained a specific age, Assemblyman William Colton (D—Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach and Dyker Heights) has introduced legislation that would bar auto insurance providers from raising their rates solely based upon the age of the insured driver.

The bill (A01800) seeks to level the playing field for drivers 60 and older, who may see their rates go up or have their insurance cancelled for no other reason than their age, something that the explanatory text within the bill calls “an industry-wide practice,” and a “discriminatory grading system.”

“Unfortunately, many auto insurance companies raise rates on drivers who have not been involved in accidents or violated the motor vehicle law simply because they have gotten older,” said Assemblyman Colton. “This bill is intended to stop this discriminatory practice, which hits these older New Yorkers, who have a long record of safe driving, just when they can least afford it, when they are living on a fixed income and every increased cost is a burden.”

According to an article published in January, 2026 on thezebra.com, an online aggregator whose stated goal is to help consumers shop for the insurance that best meets their needs, average insurance rates rise by 32 percent between the ages of 60 and 80. It says, “Premiums often start creeping upward around age 65–70, with sharper increases seen in the 70s and beyond. Some states regulate how insurers can adjust rates for age, but most allow companies to factor in age-related risk.” Currently, three states – California, Hawaii and Massachusetts – prohibit the use of age in determining car insurance premiums, according to thezebra.com.